Insulator and support for electrically charged fence wires



INSULATOR AND SUPP T F R ELECTRICALLY CHARGED FENCE IRES Filed 00 948 TU OR Fig Patented Jan. 9, 19 51 a INSULATOR AND 2,537,719 r I I surron'r FOR ELECTRI- CALLY CHARGED FENCE WIRES Oscar W. Tuepker, Hubbell, Nebr.

Application October 27, 1948, Serial No. 56,788

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in insulators and supports for electrically charged fence wires.

An important object of the invention is to provide means whereby electric wires may be easily and quickly connected and supported on metal fence posts in such a manner as to avoid all danger of short circuiting to the posts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulator supporting bracket or clip which efiectively holds the insulator at one side of a metal fence post and which may be adjusted vertically to a desired position on the post.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulator and support for electrically charged fence wires embodying means for securing the support on a fence post and in securing the insulator in the support without requiring the use of tools of any character.

Another object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, eflicient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the insulator and support attached to a fence post;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1; V

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the insulator;

Figure 5 is a similar view of the supporting bracket or clip for the insulator, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the metal blank from which the supporting bracket or clip is formed.

Referring'now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purposeof illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates generally an insulator supporting bracket or clip and which is formed from a metal stamping or blank 8 of a cross shapedesign to provide a pair of'horizontal tongues or clamping fingers 1 and upper and. lower clamping tongues or fingers 8 and 9 respectively, said tongues or fingers being formed of resilient material.

The horizontal tongues or fingers l are bent rearwardly and inwardly to form a pair of opz o posed clips I 0 for engagement behind the flanges l I of a T-metal fence post [2. The upper tongue or finger 8 is curved forwardly and downwardly and the lower tongue or finger 9 is curved forwardly and upwardly to provide a split resilient clamping band l3 which projects forwardly from the bracket or clip 5.

The central portion of the metal blank or stamping B is formed with a vertical slot [4 to receive one of the forwardly projecting lugs l5 carried by the fence post l2 whereby to support the bracket or clip 5 in a desired vertically adjusted position on the post.

The insulator is designated generally at 16 and comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical sections l1 having their opposed surfaces formed with op-- posed longitudinally extending grooves l8 in which the electric wire I 9 is received.

After the bracket or clip 5 has been placed in a desired adjusted position on the fence post l2 the sections I! of the insulator are placed at opposite sides of the wire I9 with the wire seated in the grooves l8 and the insulator Ni then inserted in one end of the split clamp l3, the resiliency of the tongues or fingers 8 and 9 of the split clamp frictionally holding the insulator tightly in the clamp l3 of the bracket.

After the insulator I6 has been placed in position the rear surface thereof rests on the lug I5 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing to thus hold the device from downward movement on the post.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to cetrain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An insulator support comprising a metal stamping having a pair of horizontal tongues projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the stamping, upper and lower tongues at the center of the stamping, rearwardly bent clips on the horizontal tongues for attaching to a fence post, and said upper tongue being curved forwardly and downwardly, and said lower tongue being curved forwardly and upwardly to form a resilient split collar for frictionally holding an insulator therein.

2. The combination with a metal fence post having a lug, of an insulator support comprising a bracket constructed of sheet metal and in- 5 eluding a central body portion having a vertical slot, a pair of opposed clips at the sides of the body portion, and a pair of arcuate tongues at the upper andrlower edges respectively of the body portion and curved'toward each other, said clips engaging the side edges of the fence post with the lug received in said slot, and said tongues frictionally holding an insulator.

OSCAR W. TUEPKERt REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 92,299 Fry July 6, 1869 789,518 Zeisinger May 9, 1905 793,313 Moss June 2'7, 1905 10 2,386,129 Maack 6---- 001112, 1945 2,437,344 Behlmann May 9, 1948 2,452,840 Craig Nov. 2, 1948 

